


Keep It Down // EVAK

by bisexualovins



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Evak - Freeform, Even Bech Næsheim - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Gay, Isak Valtersen - Freeform, M/M, SKAM
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-12-12 21:16:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11745351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualovins/pseuds/bisexualovins
Summary: Isak is in his second year at Nissen and despite the late nights out and alcohol, he's working hard to get his grades up again. Until one night he's working in the school library and gets interrupted by someone playing nas too loudly, a tall boy with messy blonde hair.





	1. the party.

**Author's Note:**

> this is the very first chapter of my evak fanfic! i've never really written much fanfic before so you'll have to bear with me a little but i'm trying to make my chapters a little more detailed. So chapters 4+ will be much more detailed because I really want the reader to understand Isak's character more in depth and learn more about his life and his personal thoughts. If you have any comments or requests please make sure to give them, my twitter/insta is: ikkemohn

    

"I swear man, she had a cat tongue it was so fucking long."

"How can she have a cat tongue?".

"Magnus, are you sure it wasn't a dream? We all know about your weird ass dreams..."

 

Isak sat on a window sill next to Jonas, Magnus and Mahdi on the other. It was yet another day of having to listen to the boys and their stories of their hook ups with endless girls. Every time they began talking about it, Isak could feel himself nodding off a little. It was just so boring. Couldn't they talk about something else?

 

"What about you, Isak?" Magnus said, leaning across a little.

"Ja, did you get with that girl in the first year?" Jonas said, raising his bushy eyebrows.

Isak nodded, remembering it clearly. "Mhm, but we were both quite drunk."

 

He thought back to that night when the girl he met, Emma, had tried to make out with him. It had been so awkward and unnatural, he hadn't felt anything. He just had to keep up the act so no one asked any questions. So when she went down on him, he just closed his eyes tightly shut and tried to picture himself somewhere else.

 

"You should've gotten her number," Mahdi said, nodding.

"Eh, I don't know. It was kind of just a hook up," Isak replied, shrugging.

"I want to hook up with Vilde," Magnus said, leaning back onto the window, as he bit his lip.

"Magnus, Vilde will never go out with you if you act so desperate," Jonas laughed.

"Fuck you, Jonas," Magnus said, tilting his head.

 

The bell went and Isak stood up, putting his brown backpack on once again. He hadn't been late for class in a while, he was trying to get there early nowadays. Last term he was late almost every day to every lesson, he earned detentions every other day and had skipped class multiple times. His grades had taken a large fall down because of it. So he wanted to change that.

 

"I better go, boys. See you at lunch?" Isak asked.

"Sure," Jonas said, patting him on the back before leaving.

\---

"In order for diseases like tuberculosis to begin, the..."

 

Isak ran his fingers through his blonde curls, as he leaned back into his chair. Biology was one of the few subjects he enjoyed, despite his stupid teacher. He felt comfortable sitting next to Sana, because they had become better friends recently and she never judged him.

"Want to do the homework together this week?" Sana asked, writing something down in her book.

"Ja, sure."

"Onsdag?".

"Perfect."

 

He looked down at his watch, it was 13:00 and the other boys would have just finished norwegian. Hastily he packed his pen and paper back into his backpack and stood up, rushing out to the cafeteria.

As he rushed over there, he saw Emma near the lockers and took the opposite way, not wanting to bump into her again.

 

"Yooo," Magnus greeted as Isak made his way to the table.

"Guess what?" said Jonas.

"What?" Isak said.

"We've been invited to a third year party, on onsdag," Jonas grinned.

"I'm busy that day."

"What?"

"I have homework to do, Jonas. Look maybe I can swing by a bit later to the party I don't know but... who even has a party that day? Why not Fredag?"

"Because they just do, Isak. Does it matter? You have to come!"

Ugh. Another party where he'd have to make out with Emma. Greit.


	2. "you're a shit liar."

    

TIRSDAG 09:15

 

Fy faen. What was that racket he could hear?

Isak opened his eyes, rubbing at them for a while until sitting up in bed. Whatever Eskild was doing, and it had to have been Eskild, was making far too much noise. He stood up, rushing to the door and sneaked his head out.

 

"Eskild? What the fuck? I was sleeping."

Eskild turned to face Isak, looking back at him with a little annoyance, his hand on his hip.

"Isak, you are always moody. Liven up a little! Live! You are too grumpy," Eskild said. "I'm cleaning the living room if you need to know."

 

Isak simply groaned and shot Eskild a look, rolling his eyes. He proceeded back to his room and decided to get ready for school early, since he had been woken up. His phone on his bed made a noise, and as he leaned over he noticed the texts from the group chat with the boys. He hoped it wasn't about the party, because he really didn't want to go.

From his wardrobe he got out a simple white top, blue nike jacket and black jeans. He pretty much wore the same things everyday, just alternating the jacket every so often so it looked like he did actually wash. He ran his fingers through his hair but didn't do much to it, he was too lazy to try.

Just as he had finished getting ready and was about to walk out of the door, Noora rushed after him.

 

"Wait, Isak, are you going?" she asked.

"Uh, ja, why?"

"Mind if I join? I don't want to walk alone," Noora smiled.

 

Isak didn't know Noora particularly well even though she lived with him. Nevertheless, he thought she must be nice if she was a friend of Eva's.

 

"Yeah um... sure," he nodded, holding the door open a little for her.

\-----

"How's Eva?" Isak asked as they walked together.

"Ja, she's good. I think she misses Jonas," Noora replied.

"I think he misses her too," Isak laughed softly, and so did Noora.

"What about you? Any special someone?" Noora asked. She knew he was into boys, but she wasn't about to out him.

"Nei. Not really."

"I'm sure they'll turn up soon," she smiled as they reached school.

"I hope so," whispered Isak, but in a voice only he could hear. He watched as Noora went off to join the girls and waved goodbye.

\----

12:32

Isak had a free period so he sat in a nearly empty classroom on his laptop, scrolling through tumblr. He knew he should be writing up his french but he really couldn't be bothered. He was about to check his email when he watched as a tall boy with blonde hair walked through the door and sat down nearby. He had seen the boy before, he was pretty sure they weren't in the same year. Isak tried hard not to look but he couldn't deny the fact that the boy was ridiculously good looking. He was slim with a sharp jawline and messy hair, wearing a light denim jacket.

Isak licked his lips and peered shyly over at the boy, who looked like he was drawing something. He wanted to know more but of course, the dream was interrupted.

 

"Isak!"

You had to be kidding. Emma? Really?

 

"Hei."

"Wanna hang out right now?" She said, eyes widening.

"Uh... I'm kind of busy right now, sorry."

"Oh yeah, no worries."

"It's not his fault, he said he'd help me write this essay," a voice spoke.

Isak stared back at the boy, trying to hide his surprise. Whoever this boy was, he was totally helping him cover up his stupid excuse. Thank fuck.

"Yeah uhm, maybe another time, Emma?" Isak coughed.

"Ja, okay," she said quietly before leaving.

As she walked away, the boy got up who was beside Isak and stared across at him, smirking.

"You're a shit liar," the boy laughed before leaving.


	3. the king of concentration.

    

ONSDAG 08:00

Isak hadn't sleep all night. He'd tossed and turned until his eyes became so red and weary that it hurt and his body ached. He just couldn't stop thinking, he couldn't switch his brain off even for a minute. Who was that boy? Why did he help him out? Was he into him?

The questions had kept flooding into his head but with no answers included, and it had given him a headache. Not only that, but because he was so tired he had ended up taking longer than usual to get ready and was now running late. Instead of taking the long way to school, he had no choice but to take the tram directly there, panting as he reached it.

Once he got to school, he searched around for the boys for a minute before catching a glimpse of some of Jonas' curly hair.

"Halla," Jonas said, looking up.

"Hei."

"You coming tonight to this party then?" Mahdi asked, grinning.

"I have this huge project I have to finish with Sana, I'm sorry," Isak said, shifting uncomfortably.

 

He didn't want to let his friends down but he was skating on thin ice. If he didn't work on the project and hand it in, he knew he would be facing another term of detention.

 

"Well, if you're sure, but you're missing out," Jonas nodded, looking a bit disappointed.

"Don't worry Isak, we'll keep you updated if Magnus finally hooks up with anyone," Mahdi laughed, looking across at Magnus.

"Fuck sake, Mahdi. I will hook up with someone," Magnus insisted, punching Mahdi playfully on the arm.

"That I would like to see," Isak smiled, shaking his head.

 

Almost just on cue, Vilde walked up to where the boys stood and started a conversation about Kosegruppa but Isak's attention was elsewhere. He was thinking about the boy again, and part of him felt ashamed. Was it wrong to feel this way? All he wanted was to see him again. On the tram to school he had even attempted to see if anyone was following the boy on Instagram, but no one was, it was just a dead end.

Vilde stopped talking and handed leaflets for a Kosegruppa meeting to the boys as Sana came and stood by her side, turning to Isak.

 

"Are we still on for today?" Sana said, holding her textbooks near her chest.

"Ja, shall I meet you out here at the end of school?" Isak said, and Sana nodded in return.

\-----

The school was nearly empty by that point as Isak leaned against one of the walls outside, waiting patiently for Sana. He had to admit, he had felt a pang of jealousy as the boys said goodbye to him about ten minutes ago. Nei, he didn't want to see Emma, but the thought of a night off school did sound like fun. He wondered for a moment if he would ever see the boy from the other day at a party, perhaps he would even be at the one that evening. 

 

"Hei," Sana beamed up at him, holding her biology folder in her arms.

Isak jolted a little bit by surprise, not hearing her walk up beside him.

"Hei," he grinned. "All set?"

"Mhm, let's go."

 

He had to admit that while Sana could be incredibly stubborn sometimes, she was a great listener and advice giver. Not only that but she wasn't fake like so many of the people at nissen, she was genuine and put up with a lot of shit everyday from everyone and still managed to be strong. In the last few terms, they had spent a lot of time studying together for exams and working together on projects. Isak was just glad that he finally had someone to talk to in that class, instead of sitting alone.

 

"Another thing, you have to turn off your phone when we get in there," Sana said, raising her eyebrows as she looked across at the boy sternly.

"What?! Why?" Isak said, raising his voice.

"Because we have lots to do, and you will just end up texting Jonas or Mahdi or Magnus or scrolling through Instagram," she said, shaking her head.

"Bullshit, I'm the king of concentration, trust me," he smirked, catching up with her.

"Isak, I'm serious. Today we have to finish this," Sana said firmly, staring at him.

"Ugh," he groaned. "Fine, fine. No phone for me."

 

They neared the library and walked in together, looking around for a place to sit and work where it was more quiet. At one end of the library were a bunch of loud children and at the other, Isak could hear muffled music echoing through the room. He scratched his head a little, finding a table near the middle and placed his backpack down on the floor, rummaging around for his textbook.

"Finally, those kids left. It's so noisy in here," Sana complained, biting on her pen as she began writing.

"Yeah, I know right," Isak sighed, taking a long look at his textbook. He peered up again and wiggled his phone in Sana's face, laughing. "It's off, it's off."

They worked solidly for hours until Isak's head was so full of information, he thought it might explode. He checked the time a little later and blinked:

20:34

missed call from papa

 

"It's already eight o'clock, Sana," he groaned, leaning back in his chair.

"We have done a lot though. Have you finished that last page?" she said, pointing to the textbook page Isak was on.

"Nei. I gotta finish it for tomorrow but if you're done, you should head home. I don't wanna just keep you here," he said.

"Are you sure? I would stay it's just Chris said that Vilde kind of needs us for this revue thing and..."

"Sana," he laughed softly, "it's fine honestly. Go help Vilde before she asks me to hold a kosegruppa meeting."

Sana got up quickly, grabbing her thick blazer coat and smiled back at Isak, leaving him a few of her biology notes before saying goodbye and exiting the library.

 

Wow, thought Isak. This day really sucked. 

 

To make it even worse, every time he attempted to concentrate he could hear the sound of loud music in his ears continuously. He had watched most of the students from earlier leave but at least one had to have stayed because all he could focus on was the sound their music was making. He tapped his fingers on the table, becoming even more irritated by the second. If that person didn't turn their music down, he was never going to be able to finish his work. He looked back down at his phone for the time:

21:21

text from sana 

voicemail from jonas

 

"Whose world is this... the world is yours..... it's mine, it's mine...." a voice sang along to the tune.

Nope. This was not happening right now.

He thought for a moment, considering his options and stood up, pushing his chair back in carelessly before marching over to where the person was sitting. Before he had even seen the person's face he prepared himself for the argument.

"Could you keep it down? I'm trying to work over here," he said impatiently, his fists curled a little in annoyance.

As he moved a little closer to the table the person was sitting at, his eyes widened suddenly realising what he had done. Fy faen.

 

Of course, this was his luck. Sitting in the corner of the library was the blonde boy, that boy. The boy he couldn't stop himself from looking at. A gasp left his mouth silently as he tried to open his mouth to say something else or defend himself but instead nothing came out apart from pure embarrassment.

"Oh uhm... shit, sorry... I didn't mean to uh..." he stuttered, looking back at the floor, his face going red.

"Not a fan of Nas?" the boy grinned.

The boy was sitting with his legs resting on the table as he leaned back into the chair. If Isak hadn't known the boy was a nissen student, he would have assumed the boy was a model. He was ridiculously tall, so tall that he made Isak look completely tiny in comparison. Though, his manner was different to how he had expected, warm and friendly instead of plain rude.

 

"Uh... Nas?" he said, licking his lips in confusion.

"You've never heard of him?!" the boy said, raising his eyebrows.

"Nei, I mean... I have, it's just..."

"I don't think you have," laughed the boy as he threw his head back. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Uh, N.W.A," Isak replied shyly, smiling to himself.

The boy nodded, listening to him and rested his feet back down onto the ground.

"Sorry to have interrupted your work, you must be busy."

"It's this final project, it's just kind of a big deal," Isak shrugged, staring back at the boy.

"Perhaps I can help," the boy said, raising his eyebrows again.

Isak screwed up his face for a minute, thinking. Study alone or study with a boy who he may or may not have been thinking about non stop?

"Ja, let's do it," Isak nodded back, trying to contain his joy.


	4. beer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as you can see, this chapter is a lot longer than some of the previous ones and I intend to keep it to about this length from now on :) . However, I still think I will be doing quite a few chapters and that is why some of them are a little short, as I want the story to slowly progress so that it doesn't ruin the anticipation! Thanks for reading!

 

 

_**ONSDAG 22:54** _

 

Truthfully, Isak was not sure what to think about this boy. I mean, he’d known him for about five minutes and now he was sat _studying_ next to him? The whole thing felt strange but at the same time, he didn't care. Especially as this mysterious boy was, let’s face it, very good-looking and someone outside of his friend group. Apart from Jonas, Mahdi and Magnus, he really didn’t talk to anyone else that much. Occasionally Sana, but he preferred to keep himself to himself most of the time. At least, that was what he had done since everything at home had started to crumble into pieces.

 

“You’re Isak right?” the boy asked, looking up for a moment.

“Ja. How did you know that?” Isak chuckled a little nervously. Did he know Jonas? Most people either knew him through Jonas or Eva, it was unusual for him to make friends that weren’t through other people, that involved having to socialise.

“I know Sana through her brother Elias, we share an apartment together,” he said, raising his eyebrows. Isak thought about this a moment, screwing his face up a little as he tried to wrack his brain. To be fair, Isak really didn’t know Elias very well but he knew the usual group that he tended to hang out with because he’d often seen them at parties.

 

“Oh, right. Cool.”

“Even.”

“Huh?”

‘That’s my name,” he smiled, taking a pen from behind his ear as he looked through Isak’s textbook.

 

“Even who is friends with Elias, got it,” Isak nodded, grinning slightly. Even faced him for a moment and laughed and Isak wished in that moment that they could just stay talking like that forever. Here was this boy, who seemed genuinely interested in his company, not like the guys at parties who were only speaking to him to find out if Jonas had brought weed or the girls who wanted to hook up with him for the night. _God_ , it was exhausting having to spend time with people who he couldn’t be himself around, people who he had to always put up his guard against.

 

A part of him knew that it wasn’t everyone else’s fault and that the main reason he struggled to be himself always led back to his family issues. To his mum, who had forced him to attend mass after mass weekly and listen to lectures about why homosexuality was a sin. To his dad, who had lied that he would always be there and had instead, run away leaving his son to have to protect his wife in the worst state possible. Isak hated it and he resented both of them for all the lies and the hurt and most importantly, for always being left abandoned when he needed them most.

 

“Okay, so I’ve found a website that has lots of good notes on heart disease, I think that is bullet point number four on the project sheet,” Even said, biting his lip as he passed the laptop to Isak.

 

Isak peered up, surprised the other boy was being so productive and took the laptop, looking at the screen with concentration. “You’re a life saver,” he saluted to him. He began writing down, summarising the notes from the website in the best way possible. He still wasn’t really sure why Even was helping him in the first place. No, he wasn’t going to start taking this the wrong way or reading into it because _fuck sake_ , had he got into some sticky situations before.

Jonas had been the prime example of a crush who had really and truly, fucked him over. He often thought to himself how stupid it was to have gotten in the middle of Jonas and Eva’s relationship. In doing so, he had driven Eva away and managed to break Jonas’ heart into pieces, making him feel even more miserable and ashamed about himself.

 

“How are you at biology then?” Even asked, staring at the boy as he wrote.

“It’s my best subject, but sometimes I kind of suck at giving work in on time,” he laughed softly, leaning back a little in his chair.

 

“Aha, why is that?”

“I only recently moved to this apartment I’m living in, and before then… it was pretty much impossible to get anything done,” he sighed, hoping Even wouldn’t push him for information. If there was one thing he hated talking about more than girls, it was his family situation.

“That’s why I often study here,” Even nodded in agreement. “At the apartment, it can get pretty noisy especially with Elias there,” he laughed, as if remembering a particular memory.

“He’s probably gone to that party tonight then,” Isak said, licking his lips as he looked up. There wasn’t a party that Elias didn’t go to, Isak knew that much about him.

“Yeah, I didn’t really fancy it,” Even said, looking down at the ground for a moment. He glanced up again, as if realising he had become a bit distant and grinned at the boy, placing the textbook down. “Are you nearly finished?”

 

“Mhm.”

“Join me for a beer? No one will be back at the apartment so, it’ll be quite chill,” Even asked, tilting his head.

 

By now, Isak had a searing headache and was so drained of energy that he really didn’t feel like doing anything. Though, if he was going to miss the party, he may as well do it with company and it would have been rude to decline an offer. Plus, he liked Even. Yeah he was incredibly tall and played obnoxious music very loudly but he also wasn’t superficial, Isak didn’t have to try hard to be someone else around him.

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

 

—————

 

The apartment building was much like the one Isak shared with Eskild, Linn and Noora, except a few more floors. Isak watched as Even bent down and unlocked the door, pushing it open as he strode in with Isak in toe. It was as you probably would have expected, an Xbox in the living room with DVDs scattering the floor, school books and empty food wrappers resting on the kitchen surface. Even sighed in relief, taking his shoes off and walking into the kitchen as Isak took his own worn shoes off quickly.

“Catch,” Even grinned, throwing Isak a can of beer.

Isak reached out his hands, catching the cold can and nodding. “Thanks,” he said, sitting down on one of the large window seats. He looked outside, realising how dark it had gotten and stared out and beyond at the view. He never spent that much time in Briskeby, unless he was nearby at school or the library but he had to admit that at night, the view was pretty enchanting; the way the city lights bounced off each building, reflecting their bright colours and casting a light where shadows previously lay. Everything felt more relaxed to him during the evening, as though anything bad that had happened during the day just seemed to disappear into thin air.

 

The crackling sound of a record player made Isak turn his head slightly, as he watched Even nodding his head to the music as he came over to sit opposite him by the window.

 

“Everyone has to hear Illmatic once in their lives,” Even exclaimed, his eyes creasing as his lips curled into a small smile.

“You listen to records?” Isak asked. He didn’t know a single person who still listened to vinyls, especially since he listened to all of his music on Spotify, probably making him seem even more mainstream.

“I only have a few records but it’s nice to have them. I don’t know, it reminds me of old movies,” Even said, taking his joint carefully from where he had tucked it behind his ear.

“What kind of movies?”

“I’m a big Baz Luhrmann fan,” the taller boy said, passing the joint to Isak.

 

Time went pretty quickly once they began talking more, and the more they shared amongst one another, the more Isak found himself warming to Even. He was slightly anxious however, that Elias and the others could burst through the door any moment and disrupt them but he tried to push that out of his mind. Instead he sat listening to Even as he rambled about his favourite music and films and his love for Frogner Park and Kaffebrenneriet, and Isak found himself absorbing all the information and wanting to know more and more.

He decided to check the time, knowing that it was probably quite late and he’d have to get the tram back quickly if he wanted one of his roommates to let him in at this time.

 

**00:31**

 

“Faen!” Isak cursed, jumping up from the seat and placing his beer down.

Even widened his eyes, wondering why the boy had suddenly become so startled. “What’s the matter?”

“I didn’t realise the time, shit, I’m sorry. I think I just lost track of time while we were talking,” Isak panted, trying to find his shoes.

“You’re going to go right now, in this weather?” Even said, peering out of the window as rain began falling heavily, soaking all the people outside as they ran to get inside into the warm of their own homes.

“I don’t really have a choice,” Isak sighed, staring back at him.

“You could stay, it’ll be dry in the morning,” Even said casually, shrugging.

 

Oh, _fy faen_. _Seriously?_ Isak had no idea what to say, wondering if this was really a good idea at all, I mean, was Even expecting something or? Countless doubts raced around his head but his main gut instinct was that the boy was simply just looking out for him and it was only a night, right?

“I mean… I don’t know… I don’t wanna impose,” Isak trailed off quietly.

“It’s not a problem,” Even said, walking up the stairs and slowing down at the top as if waiting for Isak to follow.

 

Isak breathed in slowly and looked around cautiously, thinking for a second. If he headed home now, he wouldn’t get back until even later in the morning and he also couldn’t guarantee that anyone would even open the door, seeing as he’d forgotten his keys again. He heaved out a sigh of defeat before following the boy up the pristine white stairs.

 

_It’s just one night, it’s nothing, Isak._

 

———-

 

The room was pretty dark apart from the light coming from the bed side table lamp, but even then, Isak could just about make out the posters and the drawings that lined Even’s walls. The little cartoons the boy had drawn made Isak laugh, as did the photos in frames that hung upon the walls with pictures of Even with his family and friends.

 

“You’re okay with sleeping this side?” Even asked, raising an eyebrow as he pointed to the bed.

 

Okay so, maybe Isak had not expected to be sleeping in the same bed as Even but nevertheless he was attempting to play it cool. He didn’t want to seem like a complete idiot in front of the only boy who had payed attention to him in well, forever. Not only that, he didn’t want to go home. He wanted to stay with Even, away from the rest of the world. Away from everyone at school, away from his good for nothing family, away from the thoughts that kept him up at night about who he was supposed to be.

 

“Sure.”

 

Isak bit his lip a little awkwardly as he watched the boy undressing out of the corner of his eye. He was trying immensely hard not to look at the boy but fucking hell, how could he not? As he peered down at the ground, fumbling with his own top and pulling it over his head, he lifted his head up slightly and stared at the boy whose back was turned. He wanted to stop because part of him felt like he had to, but the other part just couldn’t stop thinking how fucking good Even looked in that moment and it made him feel slightly dazed.

He blinked once more, snapping himself out of his trance and getting into his side of the bed with only his shirt and boxers on. Likewise, Even did the same, lying his back down against the bed on the other side. Suddenly, Isak became very aware of how close they were and the less he shuffled about, the more he could only hear the sound of Even’s slow breathing and his own heartbeat.

 

“Do you ever think about how many parallel universes there are?” Even said into the silence, startling Isak a little.

 

“There’s an infinite amount,” Isak replied, propping his head up.

“Perhaps in a parallel universe somewhere, our stories are somehow different,” Even said quietly.

“How do you mean?”

“It’s just a thought I had,” Even whispered, turning his back slowly to the boy.

 

For a while, Isak sat thinking about what the boy had said, as if trying to unravel it, understand the boy more, but it wasn’t long before his eyes shut and he was sleeping soundly, listening to the sounds of the city through the open window.

Though something was different when he finally managed to open his eyes in the morning, taking in the blinding light through the curtains. He had fallen asleep, and he had fallen asleep _holding hands_ with no other than Even.


	5. stalker.

    

TORSDAG 07:13

 

Through the large windows, rays of sunshine illuminated the room brightly, and a soft breeze entered the room, sending a slight shiver up Isak’s arm. His eyes were still closed tightly shut as he lay there, not wanting to wake up from his comfortable sleeping position, not wanting to go out and face the world just yet. Instead, he lay all curled up on his side of the bed before coming to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to be able to go back to bed, that he should save himself the fuss and just get up now.

 

His eyelids flickered open and he blinked furiously, his heart pounding as he stared around the room. What the _fuck? Where was he?_ The large window that sat to the right of him, the desk sprawled with drawings and cartoons, the forgotten denim jacket that sat upon an empty chair. This wasn’t his room, it was Even’s. 

 

The memories of the previous night began to appear in his head again: the library, listening to music with Even, having beer with Even, sleeping next to Even. In the back of his head, he knew that this was all going to end up a massive mistake, because after all, there were already rumours about him being gay. He couldn’t risk any more shit like that, and he wasn’t about to give everyone at school a reason to gossip either. His head began to pound again and he reached a hand up slowly, rubbing his brow in frustration. How could he have been such an _idiot? Why hadn’t he just gone home?_

 

Isak hated the part of his head that told him to stay, that really needed to be with Even, the part that had enjoyed last night so much especially as he could relax, not worrying about keeping up some kind of appearance. Though another part of his head couldn’t help but remind him how stupid he was to have gotten into this situation. Even if he had been interested in Even, he couldn’t. He couldn’t risk the consequences and the confrontation he would get from other people, them looking at him the same way his parents did; in disgust.

 

Yes, it was 2017, he knew that. He knew that a large percentage of people were not homophobic at all, but that didn’t stop the rest of the world who disagreed. Another thing was that Isak wasn’t even sure if Even was gay at all. Isak wasn't even sure if he was gay or not, never mind someone else. He had no idea about Even’s dating history and he frankly didn’t want to find out. If he was going to take control of his life, he had to get out of that bedroom right that second and not waste a minute more.

 

He climbed out of the bed quietly and tiptoed over to where the rest of his clothes lay, pulling them on furiously before glancing at himself in the mirror. His blonde curls were a mess, all skewed and unbrushed and his dark circles had only gotten darker from staying up so late. He sighed, grabbing the rest of his things and wrote a quick note, sticking it to the door of Even's bedroom:

 

 

**eskild needed me, had to head home**

**\- I**

 

 

As he neared the door, he grabbed his coat wrapping it around himself and picked up his backpack from the floor. He peered around in relief, seeing that it was too early for any of the other boys to have woken up, they were probably hungover too. Once he was ready, he put a hand on the door handle and turned it carefully, about to make his quick exit when he sensed someone else walking into the living room.

 

“Yooo, it’s Isak,” Elias laughed, walking into the kitchen with grey sweatpants and a cup of coffee. Isak stared back at him like a deer caught in the headlights, freezing to the spot. He was going to have to come up with a really good lie to persuade Elias he hadn’t stayed the night, but his palms were already becoming sweaty and his heart beat was racing incredibly fast. No, he didn't know Elias well at all, but he knew him well enough to have to strike up some kind of conversation.

 

“Oh, um… hey, Elias, I was just…”

 

‘Oh yeah, don’t worry, I know. Even said he was helping you with homework, did you stay here overnight?” he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

 

“Yeah, um, I just… crashed on the sofa, it was late and the tram ride is a long way back so…” he shrugged, trying to keep his cool desperately. The one thing he was confused about was how Elias knew Even was helping him, he wasn't even awake yet so he must have said something yesterday. Had Even been planning to see him at the library? 

 

“Oh, cool. Well I won’t keep you but you should definitely come to another party soon,” Elias nodded, getting himself a glass of orange juice.

 

“Yeah, sure. Do you think Even will go too?” he asked, merely trying to make conversation, without seeming too curious.

 

“I doubt it, Even’s not really in the party mindset at the moment,” he said, looking down at the ground for a moment before licking his lips.

 

“Well um… I will see you soon then,” Isak said, waving as he stepped closer to the door and gave it a tug, finally letting himself out as Elias waved goodbye in return.

 

——-

 

11:50

 

 

Isak felt disgusting. He hadn’t showered at Even’s in the morning or the evening and so he was forced to head to school, with his hair greasy and his top from the night before smelling of sweat. He made sure to zip up his coat, so that maybe people at school wouldn’t realise the sweat was his, though he knew it was a long shot. He also realised as he rushed into the school building, that he was late for his study group.

 

Since beginning the term, he’d been forced to suck up his pride and join a pretentious study group. Yes, you heard right; a study group. He really didn’t know anyone in the group except Vilde, and he had always been curious why she joined in the first place. Even she didn’t speak much to him during the time they studied, unless she had a question.

 

“Sorry, sorry. My tram got caught up and… yeah,” Isak mumbled, sitting down on a chair next to Vilde in the practically empty classroom.

 

“We’re just doing Norwegian right now,” Vilde piped up, informing Isak.

 

“Takk. Is the homework for Fredag?” he asked.

 

“Mhm,” a boy in the group replied.

 

He took out his glasses from his backpack and scanned over the notes he had from the last lesson. As he stared down at the page, nothing stuck in his mind. It was as if his brain had been completely wiped and nothing was clear enough to even read. He let out a quiet yawn, fiddling with his pen as he looked out of the window for a moment, wondering where Even was right now, wondering if Even even cared about where he was. 

 

Every time he would think of Even, Isak would force himself to think back to how things felt with Jonas, to remind himself that his feelings weren’t going to do him any good whatsoever. He’d been down that road before, he wasn’t about to go back and end up being the fool. He was sick of feeling like the weak one, whether that was with his family or friends. It was as if nothing he could do would live up to what everyone wanted. He couldn’t be the perfect son, he couldn’t be the boy who gets with lots of girls or is naturally good at his schoolwork or who could look after his mum. The only thing he could do was bury himself in work, using that to distract himself from everything else.

“Isak? Everyone’s already left.”

 

He blinked as he came back to reality, glancing back up at Vilde, who was now the only other person in the room.

 

“Oops,” he laughed softly, grabbing his backpack and standing up. “Is Kosegruppa today?” he said to her.

 

Vilde squealed with delight and nodded, patting his arm. “It is, Isak! So glad you’re coming! You are coming, right?” she said eagerly. 

 

“Ja, I'll be there,” he smiled back at her. Vilde could be extremely irritating but she always had good intentions and Isak knew that. He’d started coming to Kosegruppa alone since none of the other boys ever showed up and it was another extra-curricular to add to the list. He was trying to build up a better reputation at school, especially as he’d be known to cut class and smoke on school property. Sometimes his lying skills had helped him out and other times all he could do was accept whatever punishment they were going to give him.

 

“I can't wait! Bring anyone you like!” she smiled, her voice trailing off as she almost skipped out of the classroom.

 

Carefully, Isak pushed his glasses back onto his forehead, heading out of the corridor of classrooms in a hurry. He hadn’t seen any of the boys all day, probably because he hadn't met them by their usual spot in the courtyard as he had been stuck trying to desperately escape Even’s apartment without him realising. He had to admit, he was slightly annoyed Even hadn’t tried to find him or speak to him, but then again, it’s not like they even had each other’s numbers yet, so how could he?

 

As usual, the air outside was bitterly cold, making his small hands turn a light shade of pink as he struggled to keep himself warm. He turned a corner, peering out into the distance to see any sign of them but soon gave up, deciding they might have gone out without him.

 

 

 

“Isak! Can he even hear us?”

 

“Oh my fucking god, Isak.”

 

“Isak, you dick!” a voice laughed loudly as a figure came and tapped his shoulder abruptly.

 

 

 

The boy turned and frowned, rolling his eyes and chuckling as he noticed it was Mahdi. “Hei, I’ve been looking everywhere, jesus,” he complained.

 

“We went inside to get some food,” Mahdi said. “The party was absolutely mental, you gotta hear what Jonas did.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure it’s fascinating,” Isak joked, rolling his eyes again and following Mahdi to the bench that Magnus and Jonas were already sat at.

 

 

 

Magnus was busy with his head resting in his palm, staring across at Vilde in the distance before Jonas hit the top off his head sharply.

 

“What the fuck, Jonas?” Magnus huffed. 

 

“Why are you set on Vilde, Magnus? She literally hooked up with Eva at the party and you’re still trying it,” Jonas said, raising his eyebrows.

 

“She did?” Isak asked, curious for once as he usually only heard about all the boy on girl kisses.

 

“Ja, I think Eva has a thing for her too,” Jonas shrugged, “I’m not really sure though.”

 

Mahdi licked his lips and turned back to Isak, “But even better, Isak. You won’t guess who Jonas hooked up with, none of us could actually believe it.”

 

“Who?” Isak said, glancing up at Jonas.

 

“Noora.”

 

“Noora? What? Nei! You’re joking!” he spluttered. Sure, Noora was nice but it wasn’t as if she hooked up with someone at parties usually and also, she was Eva’s best friend. Isak didn’t even know what to say. He wondered for a moment if he hadn't spent enough time with the boys recently, especially as he hadn't even known Jonas was interested in Noora. Part of him wondered if Jonas had only hooked up with Noora because Eva was moving on, but he kept his mouth shut. 

 

“Saw it myself,” Magnus laughed, nodding his head.

 

Isak zoned out for a few minutes as they continued to speak about who else had come to the party and hooked up with one another. He was too busy watching the door every time it opened, seeing if any of the people who stepped out of it were Even. It wasn’t like he wanted to speak to him in front of the others, he just wanted to see him again and maybe apologise for just running off like that.

 

 

“What about you, how did the studying go?” Jonas said, biting down on his lip.

 

“I had a lot to finish, Sana left a bit earlier to help Vilde with something,” Isak said vaguely, not wanting to get into too much detail.

 

“But Noora and Eskild said you didn’t come home,” Mahdi said, as all the boys in turn stared over at Isak.

 

 

Isak hadn’t even thought to prepare a lie for this and coughed slightly, looking down at his shoes and trying frantically to think of an excuse. “I visited my dad.”

 

 

“Really?” Jonas said.

 

“Yeah,” he lied.

 

“Isak, you said two ages your dad was going out of the country," Jonas continued, obviously trying to pull the information out from him.

 

“Jonas, can you drop it? I said what I said, okay?” he argued, his anxiety rising.

 

“Okay but why are you bullshitting, I don’t get it like-“

 

“Isak why is that guy waving at you?” Mahdi said, pointing over at a figure who had just left the school building.

 

Isak turned his gaze away from Jonas and out to where Mahdi had pointed, his pulse quickening as he realised Mahdi was talking about Even. “I don’t know, Mahdi.”

 

“So, he’s stalking you?” Magnus laughed, turning his head.

 

“Stop looking at him, okay? I don’t even know who he is,” Isak lied, shaking his head as he turned away. He felt awful, so awful. How could he be so fucking rude to someone who let him stay the night and looked out for him? He felt more disappointed and ashamed in himself now than ever before, his throat becoming dry and hoarse like he was about to cry. 

 

He glanced up again and watched as Even stared back at him. He noticed the taller boy was wearing a light blue shirt and pair of jeans, his hair styled into a perfect quiff as he stood with two other friends. Isak also noticed that as Even stared back, he looked hurt and it was obvious, and Isak wished he hadn’t stayed the night because now he was going to feel nothing but guilt for the rest of the term when he saw Even. He badly wanted to get up, but his feet wouldn’t let him and he knew he’d only be making it all worse.

 

“Maybe he’s like Julian, has a crush on you,” Magnus winked but Isak just sighed in response. The boys would just treat this all like a joke and he wasn’t in the mood, he just wanted to finish the day and head home to his bed and his computer.

 

——

 

 

19:00

 

Finally, Isak had been able to shower and _god_ , did he feel so much more clean and fresh as he made his way onto the tram again. He’d only been able to spend a few hours at the apartment before having to head out again for Kosegruppa, but even then, Eskild had found a way to start quizzing him.

 

“Isak, I don’t trust a word that comes out of your mouth,” Eskild had said, crossing his arms. “You hate seeing your dad and you obviously didn’t see him last night.”

 

“Oh my god, Eskild. Yes I did. Now can you just go back to watching tv with Linn or something because I’m on a time schedule,” Isak had said dismissively. 

 

 

The tram was pretty busy but mainly with families and those heading to and from work as he sat down, edging himself into a seat near the back. He stuck in his earphones, letting his music blast loudly before scrolling through and finally found what he was looking for, Illmatic by Nas. He was aware that this was only going to make him think about Even more, but he liked the music too and for whatever reason, it calmed him down.

 

 

After about twenty minutes, he arrived back at school, heading through the doors and through the corridor to where the meeting would begin. He could hear the sound of people chatting, one of them obviously Eva as he stepped inside, his hands resting inside his jean pockets.

 

“Hei, Isak!” Vilde grinned, coming over to him with Sana. “Thanks for coming!”

 

“No problem,” he nodded, running his fingers through his hair.

 

“Today we’re going to be talking about how we can improve the school and spread positivity in society, if you have any ideas make sure to contribute!” Vilde said, before going to find Eva at the back of the room.

 

“Any ideas then?” Sana joked, grinning at Isak.

 

“Nei, but I’ll tell you if I do,” Isak smiled, sitting himself near the front.

 

“Uh, I have something for you…” Sana said, reaching into her pocket and handing him a small note with his name on it in pencil. “My brother’s friend, Even, he said he wondered if you needed help again with biology,” she continued.

 

Isak studied her face carefully, trying to figure out if she thought something different was going on with him and Even but instead he just tried to ignore the thought. I mean it wasn’t like Even hadn’t been helping him with his work but, to him it just felt like more than that and that’s why he felt like he was forced to not say a word about it. “Takk,” he said, taking the note from her quickly and sitting down again.

 

He breathed in, slowly unravelling the note as he looked down at it. 

 

 

**can we talk?**

**i left my number on the back**

**\- E**

 

Along with the note was a drawing that Isak couldn’t help but laugh at; of him and Even sitting in the library, Isak with his hand on his hip as he looked annoyed at Even, with his earphones in. The attention to detail that Even had included in his silly drawings made Isak realise there was probably a lot more to Even that he knew about at all. Not only that but, Even still wanted to speak to him even after Isak had clearly ignored him in the courtyard. Either he was super fed up with him or he actually did want to talk. Either way, Isak would be there. 


	6. his girlfriend.

** FREDAG 18:00 **

 

The workload of school may have been hitting Isak hard, but it didn’t even bother him. Nothing bothered him right now, except how things were going to go with Even. Once Isak had sent Even a text after the note Sana had given him, he had been waiting impatiently for hours. Even during the night he had stayed up, not being able to stop himself thinking about what Even might say. Plus, why did he care? It wasn’t like he _liked_ Even. Besides, they hardly even knew each other, Isak just thought Even seemed nice enough, and with all the work and no parties, he definitely could do with some company.

 

He still hadn’t eaten any food for dinner yet as he strolled down to the living room where Noora was hunched on the sofa, her phone in hand. He had a little time to spare before going to meet Even, so he figured he’d chill for a while and watch some TV. As he flopped down onto the armchair nearby, he remembered what Jonas had said the other day about hooking up with Noora. I mean, he didn’t want to pry and start asking her questions but… did she _like_ him? He couldn’t even imagine the two of them together, but then, they were quite similar people.

 

 

“Hei,” Noora smiled, looking up from her phone.

 

“Halla,” Isak nodded.

 

“Did you enjoy Kosegruppa last night?”

 

“It was alright actually, well until Vilde tried to sign me up for baking next week with her and Eva,” he said, raising his eyebrows.

 

Noora rested her head back onto the sofa and giggled, shaking her head. “Oh, Vilde.”

 

“But um… what about you? How was the uh, party?” Isak asked, licking his lips carefully. He knew he could be skating on thin ice but after all, Jonas was still his best friend. He’d had his heart broken by Eva and been messed around by many girls and Isak hated to see him like that, especially because Jonas was always the strong one. 

 

“Ja, it was um… nice,” she said, coughing a little awkwardly as she smiled back. “I suppose he told you.”

 

“Mhm,” Isak grinned, nodding his head. “Not gonna lie, I didn’t expect that," he said.

 

“Neither did I,” she shrugged. “But I guess things are different now.”

 

“In what way?” he said.

 

“I’m no longer with William anymore and even when I was,” she said, sitting up a little. “It was not a good relationship. Jonas is kind, he cares about people. That is the type of person I would prefer to have in my life,” she explained, glancing across.

 

Isak nodded once more in agreement and tilted his head. “Jonas is a good guy, maybe I’m biased being his best friend but…” Isak said, beginning to stand up. “If you like him, I think he would want to know,” he said.

 

 

Isak figured he would say goodbye and leave then, but instead he was interrupted mid-sentence by Eskild and Linn, walking into the living room with shopping bags. Isak rolled his eyes, and looked up at the ceiling. Not. Again.

 

 

“Hei everyone! Linn and I have been shopping and look what we found,” Eskild said, sitting down next to Noora and opening up the bag. He took out four pairs of slippers: white, pink, blue and brown.

 

“Um, okay?” Noora laughed, turning to Isak as if he had any idea what this was about.

 

Eskild waved his hands, getting them all to listen. “These are slippers for everyone to wear indoors so that we don’t get the floor dirty again. I’m naming no names but,” he coughed a little. “ISAK.”

 

Isak rolled his eyes and grabbed his grey snapback from the arm of the chair quickly. “It was _one time,_ Eskild. But fine, I’ll wear your stupid slippers. I’m going out, ha det.”

 

“Ha det, ungrateful one,” Eskild sang.

 

Slowly, he made his way out of the room and grabbed his blue and red jacket, just in case it got colder while he was out. He stared down at his phone as a notification popped up. 

 

**even bn**

\- See you in twenty minutes?

 

 

 

Isak looked back at the screen as he closed the door, walking down the street to the nearest tram stop. He scratched at his head, suddenly feeling a bit nervous about seeing Even again after the courtyard incident. Hastily, he typed a response into his phone and sent it before slipping his phone back into his jean pocket.

 

 

**\- sure, i’ll text if i’m going to be any longer.**

 

—————-

 

 

He adjusted his snapback nervously as he stood up from his seat on the tram, hearing the repetitive recording as his stop was called out. Isak knew he probably could have brought a warmer jacket with him, but this one had the longer sleeves and he’d always had a habit of pulling the sleeves over his hands whenever he became agitated. 

 

Yes, Even had made an effort to try and speak to him again but was it even worth it? The most they’d shared together were a few beers and maybe they had spent a night in the same bed but he was going to pretend that never happened, block it out at all costs. Isak felt stupid for even contemplating the idea of something more. What did he really expect? This was the real world, not a movie with a fairy tale ending that everyone loved. 

 

 

As he neared Kaffebrenneriet, he frantically rubbed his pink hands together to rid himself off the cold, his nose also becoming rosy as he tucked his hands into his jacket, slowly making his way through the door. The feeling of warmth against his skin as he closed the door, made him soften slightly. All he could smell was a whirlwind of coffee and food, glancing over at a couple near the door who were deep in conversation as they sipped their hot chocolate. _Fuck_ , he was so hungry. 

 

 

“Thought you’d never show up.”

 

Isak spun around sharply at the sound of Even’s calm and collected tone, peering up as the taller boy walked closer to him. He fluttered his eyelashes a little, staring at the boy who was dressed in a dark grey shirt, a white top tucked underneath and a black apron over the top.

 

“You work here?” Isak said, ignoring the boy’s comment.

“Mhm, my shift has just finished though. Are you hungry?” Even asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I’m fucking starving,” Isak said, widening his eyes and sighing. He felt exhausted and his head was all over the place with constant thoughts. Not only that but he was beginning to feel dizzy from the lack of food and he could tell he looked more tired than ever.

 

“Sandwich?” Even said, looking back as he slipped behind the counter and pointed to a row of sandwiches.

 

“Yes, anything, I will seriously eat anything right now,” Isak said, putting his hands up in the air.

 

Even chuckled slightly, which confirmed to Isak that this was not going to be the day that Even told him he was an obnoxious asshole who ignored him in the courtyard. He wasn’t sure why the boy hadn’t said anything, perhaps Even felt awkward too? He wasn’t sure, but he hoped they could both just forget about it. He really could do without the drama.

 

Even took the sandwich and placed it into a plate for Isak, handing it to him over the counter. Then he nodded towards a table near the window and followed him over, sitting his back against the chair comfortably. 

 

“Sana gave you the note then?” Even smiled.

 

“Ja, at Kosegruppa. I was kinda surprised,” Isak said, biting into his sandwich.

 

“Why were you surprised?”

 

“I don’t know, I guess I just-“

 

“You don’t want your friends to know, I get it,” Even said, looking down.

 

“Know what?” Isak said, stopping for a moment.

 

“That we’re hanging out. It’s fine, you don’t have to spend time with me just because I helped you with your homework,” he smiled faintly.

 

Isak tilted his jaw up a little, trying to make his mind up. “I like hanging with you, I just don’t wanna… ditch them or something,” he said, hoping his excuse would help him out.

 

“I get that.”

 

“So we’re still cool?”

 

“Mhm,” Even nodded, sipping his tea hesitantly. 

 

 

Despite Even’s cool exterior, Isak could not help but wonder if Even felt there was something more between them. A connection, perhaps? No. He was probably just reading into it again too much, overthinking the whole situation but… part of him hoped that was exactly what Even meant. Another part of him told him that he should be more realistic about the whole situation but he didn’t feel in the mood to listen to that.

 

 

“Are you going to anything tonight?” asked Isak, wondering if the other boy had any plans. 

 

After all, it _was_ Fredag and most people at the school would use that on its own as an excuse to throw a party. Though Isak didn’t mind the odd one, it was usually just him by himself in a corner getting completely wasted whilst his friends made out with girls or got high. He just didn’t really feel like going to that right now, he knew he would have much preferred to just sit and talk with Even for a little longer.

 

“Uh, nei, I figured I would just go home and chill,” Even shrugged. “You?”

 

“I kind of had the same plan,” Isak laughed softly, glancing up.

 

 

Isak really did not want to come off as sounding desperate but he was thinking the idea over and over again in his head about asking Even to come round the Kollektiv. If both of them had nothing to do it would be a good way to spend the evening, at least he thought. He began to open his mouth to ask Even, feeling a little nervous before a girl with short cut blonde hair ran over to the table.

 

 

“Halla!” she smiled as Even stood up to greet her by embracing her.

 

 

Isak looked around awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. He really hoped she was just some kind of friend from school that wouldn’t stay long, especially as Isak had really wanted to invite Even round. He looked up, slightly anxiously before giving a nervous smile to the girl.

 

 

“Who’s this?” she said, sounding a little out of breath.

 

“This is Isak. Isak, this is Sonja,” Even explained.

 

“His girlfriend,” she smiled, reaching her hand out to Isak.

 

 

As Isak reached his hand out to shake hers, he felt a lump emerge in his throat. Of course she was his girlfriend.This was the real world, not some kind of fucking fairytale he could live in like he had imagined. He couldn’t believe it and he felt so confused. Why would Even have left him sleep in his bed if he had a girlfriend? Perhaps it was nothing to Even, but it was everything to him. 

 

 

“Nice to meet you,” Isak nodded, but the smile he was showing now was much more forced than before.

 

 

He had to admit that she was pretty, much like Emma actually but that didn’t mean he was attracted to either of them. Not only that but Even was obviously fond of her by the way he smiled and kissed her after she came to sit at the table. Isak just wanted to leave. he couldn’t take another minute of sitting there and almost suffocating.

 

“Uh, I’m really sorry… Looks like Eskild needs me back at home, sorry to stay for such a short time,” Isak coughed, standing up from his seat.

 

Even stared back, furrowing his eyebrows as if he hadn’t quite expected Isak to say that but Sonja simply nodding, still smiling at him.

 

“Oh okay, see you soon?” Even asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

 

———

 

 

 

** LØRDAG 09:41 **

 

 

Isak couldn’t think of anything worse than opening his eyes and having to face the world. Even had a fucking _girlfriend_. Really; why had he even bothered? It had been too good to be true. Everything was for him and he’d just gotten used to it.

 

 

“Hey sleepy, Noora’s made breakfast,” Eskild said, shaking Isak from his slumber.

 

“Ugh, Eskild! I’m trying to sleep!”

 

“When do you not sleep, Isak?” Eskild rolled his eyes.

 

“Fuck sake…” Isak groaned, standing up and pushing Eskild away.

 

 

 

He pulled on his baggy Simpsons t-shirt and made his way into the living room where the others were.

 

 

“I made some food there on the table,” Noora smiled brightly, already dressed with her signature lipstick on.

 

“Uh, thanks.”

 

As he took a slice of toast, Isak checked his phone and saw a text from Jonas telling him there would be a party at Yousef’s.

 

**jonas**

\- PARTY TONIGHT. YOUSEF’S. Pls come broo.

 

 

 

Isak laughed a little at Jonas’ desperate attempt to persuade him into going to the party. He sighed and considered the offer; after all, maybe he needed a night off. He’d spent the whole term studying hard and maybe he could just drink it all away for one night. That would work better than thinking about Even over and over again in his head until he drove himself to insanity. 

 

\- Sure. What time?

 

Isak tapped into his phone.

 

 

**jonas**

\- Pre-drinks at mine at 8, then party at 9 

 

 

\- I’ll be there 

 

 

Isak wrote, placing his phone down on the table.

 

 

 

 

“Hey Noora, are you going to the party at uh… Yousef’s?” Isak asked, turning around to face her.

 

She paused and considered it for a moment. “Is Jonas?” she asked hesitantly. 

 

“Yeah… why-“

 

“Hush Isak! Let Noora like your skater boy friend in peace,” Eskild said which resulted in Noora giving him a harsh glare.

 

 

“Whatever, I’m going to the library,” Isak said.

 

 

He was hoping to ask for a part-time job so that he could pay for the rent quicker and on time. He was always the last one to pay because he had hardly any money to spare except for on basic food or drink. As well as that, his dad always forgot to send him money like they’d agreed, but Isak didn’t like to nag him about it, especially as he loathed talking to the man.

 

“Can you pick up a book for Linn. What was it called, Linn?” Eskild said.

 

“Five diseases worse than Chlamydia,” she said casually.

 

Isak made a face at them and rolled his eyes again, eating the rest of his toast on the way out. 

 

 

This day _really_ needed to get better. Fast.


End file.
